Early this week, a member of the British parliament, Alun Michael, asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown a question about Somaliland. The way the Prime Minister tackled the question indicated that the prime minister was well briefed and knowledgeable about Somaliland (for a transcript of the exchange between Alun Michael and the prime minister

If we break the prime minister’s reply into its components, the following points stand out:

- The prime minister referred to Somaliland as a country.

- The prime minister agreed with Alun Michael’s suggestion that Somaliland deserves respect from the international community.

- The prime minister was aware of the presence of President Rayale in the British parliament.

- The prime minister welcomed the president of Somaliland and his delegation to the United Kingdom.

- The prime minister included Somaliland in the list of countries with which the United Kingdom is associated.

No doubt, the prime minister’s statement is a strong endorsement of Somaliland’s achievements as a peaceful oasis in a dangerous part of the world. But given the several incidents of human rights violations that took place in Somaliland last year, it would not be far fetched to say the Prime Minister’s reply also contained an implicit message to the Somaliland government to desist from such actions if it wants to be welcomed into the international community.

Since President Rayale is now in the United States for the next leg of his journey, and the United States has a bigger stake in Somaliland than Britain, Somalilanders expect, and with justification, that the US’s welcoming of Somaliland’s presidential delegation and its overall commitment to assisting Somaliland will surpass that of Gordon Brown. Will the US follow Gordon Brown’s example or will it drop the ball? Let’s see what happens